Systems for transmitting data, collecting responses to that data and storing the responses in a form where the responses can be analyzed have long been a concern in the art. Such systems can, for instance, be used by polling and rating services. Many other uses such as accessing central database information systems will be evident to those who have worked in this area.
In the consumer field, such polls are used, for example, to determine consumer preferences for selected products, services, television programs or channels.
Research services have traditionally used several different methods in which to collect their responses. One of these methods is to send out questionnaires in the form of letters requesting responses. This is very expensive and time consuming as the letters have to be addressed, sent, received, completed, returned, and then responses have to be manually analyzed or entered into a computer by the research company. Also, since a fair amount of time is required by the consumer to complete the response, response rates can be low and inaccurate. Another form of surveying is orally by telephone. The labour cost is high in performing the telephone calls and again manual calculation or entry of responses is necessary for the company.
Another traditional data collection method is to provide the participants in the surveys with diaries. The participants must keep track of what they watch or the products they use and enter their responses into the diary. The diaries are then collected and the responses are manually analyzed or entered into a computer. This is a very cumbersome procedure both for the participant and the company.
In the electronic age many systems have arisen in an attempt to simplify procedures for both the companies and the participants.
Bar code readers allow surveyors to keep track of products which have been coded with a universal product code. The response data read by the readers is stored in a data base which may be sold to companies interested in the products covered by the survey. In practice this system is normally non-discriminatory. For instance, if a bar code reader is placed in a grocery store normally all of the products coming out of the store are entered into the data base. Although this provides for a great deal of useful data it additionally stores a great deal of unusable data. The data base becomes very large, expensive and cumbersome to use.
One system for determining television ratings is totally automated. A hardware device is hooked directly to and monitors the use of the channels of a television. The information is sent over a dedicated telephone line to a central computer. Although the system is fully automated the hardware implementation can be quite costly and only gives specific information related to the time of viewing, length of viewing and the channel viewed.
Systems for providing moment to moment audience responses to an event are particularly useful. Known systems require the event to be performed in a room equipped with devices enabling each participant to input his/her response, e.g. by means of buttons corresponding to different responses. The response data would be collected by a computer and combined with the known demographics of the viewers and synchronized to the event. Obviously this system requires the participants to travel to a central location. At the location the event is performed in a setting foreign to the participant which may alter the reliability of his or her responses.
It has been previously very expensive to do on-line telephone moment to moment audience surveys. For example, a dedicated telephone line would be needed for each member of the audience.
In the area of information systems present applications include accessing central data bases using a personal computer and a modem. The system operator creates and maintains a data base in a host computer and normally controls access via passwords issued to authorized users. While connected to the host computer, the users requests and the hosts answers are passed back and forth through the telephone network. Users can be charged on a subscription and/or a connect time basis. This system facilitates access to an unlimited amount of data, however the system requires each user to invest in a personal computer, the software required to operate the computer and a modem.
Furthermore users must be educated in how to dial up, sign on, and search for the desired information. This system is more appropriate for sophisticated computer users with specialized, non-standard information needs.
Furthermore for mass dissemination of information the personal computer information systems require each user to access the central data base using a telephone line. This ties up the users telephone as well as the telephone system and requires the host computer to have a large number of access ports.
In order to simplify the personal computer system dedicated information access systems which are designed to be more user friendly have been developed. The user needs only to enter numeric responses in a key pad to undertake a search. These systems have generally used graphics based screens requiring a lengthy drawing session for each screen. Also the receivers and decoders that were specially designed for the systems have costs well above mass market appeal. As for all user to host access systems, each user ties up a telephone line and a host computer access port.
Another information system transmits its information in a normally unused portion of the vertical blanking interval of a regular television signal. A viewer must be equipped with a special docoder to view the information. A severe constraint of the vertical blanking interval systems is the limited bandwidth. Typically, a loop of pages is transmitted. If the access time is to be reasonable only a limited number of pages can be transmitted.
Other systems have employed the cable television service available in most cities throughout North America. Unfortunately not all homes are provided with basic cable service. Very few homes are provided with two-way cable systems eliminating interactive applications.
Some information systems have employed the FM band for transmitting information. None of these systems has incorporated an interactive return path component. Additionally some of these systems are designed to transmit only small data bursts on an irregular basis as opposed to maintaining an open channel for continuous delivery.